Proton Iriz EV – 300 km electric car on display at IGEM

Following a glimpse of the Proton Iriz EV prototype in South Korea
last October, we now have the first pictures and initial specs of the
local carmaker’s very own electric vehicle. The Proton Iriz EV is
currently on display at the 2015 International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM).
While the exterior looks familiar, the Iriz EV is a totally different
car underneath. Powering the car is a permanent magnet AC synchronous
electric motor that puts out the equivalent of 116 kW (155 hp) and 360
Nm of torque – the motor is juiced up by an LG-developed 39.6 kWh
lithium-ion polymer battery. This allows for a 0-100 km/h time of less
than nine seconds and a top speed of 150 km/h.

Other details in which the spec sheet lists is a 50 kW fast charging
and a 6.6 kW normal charging system. A 7.23 ratio for the single-speed
transmission is also noted. According to Proton, the battery can be
charged from 40% to full in just 15 minutes with a fast charger, four
hours with a public charger and seven hours with a standard three-pin
plug.
While it was previously claimed that the Iriz EV had a better range than the Nissan Leaf
(240 km versus 200 km touted by the latter), Proton now says that it
can cover more ground than that – a NEDC cycle-based operational range
of around 300 km is mentioned. An impressive figure considering that the
car weighs in at 1,380 kg – 195 kg heavier than the standard Iriz 1.6 Premium CVT (1,185 kg).

Elsewhere, the underfloor-mounted battery means that interior space
has not been compromised – the car even retains its spare tyre under the
boot floor. The gearknob is now a small, stumpy item that appears to
have been nicked off a third-gen Toyota Prius,
and there’s now a digital instrument display showing the speed, charge
status, power used/regenerative braking applied and even the battery
temperature.
Back in October 2014, it was revealed by Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO, Madani Sahari, that one of the two proposed Malaysian-developed electric vehicles could be sold for under RM100k
when it hits the market. If all goes according to plan, the Iriz EV
could be officially introduced by the end of 2016/early 2017.